Shock
by zeeharan
Summary: I couldn't help myself. I just had to write a sequel. updated!
1. shock

Shock. Slowly raising his hands, that's the only word that could describe what Captain Leo Davidson was feeling. Staring at the furry mob surrounding him, Leo tried to get his mind to work, to figure out a plan. This must be an alternate universe that the.. anomaly brought him to. It had to be, apes couldn't have taken over the world in the few short days he had been gone, it just, it just wasn't possible. Staring numbly out at Washington D.C, Leo wondered if he was going to die this time. "No" Leo whispered to himself, not while he was still breathing. He wouldn't allow the apes the pleasure of killing him. They were the same barbaric animals from the last planet; they had just evolved and masked their animal instincts with technology. He was roughly pulled out of his shock as a group of what had to be the military came storming through the gathered reporters and hustled him down the stairs into an armored car.  
  
*BRIIIIIIING! * The shrill sound of the telephone roughly pulled Attar from a sound sleep. Thinking about it for about two seconds, Attar decided that it probably wasn't that important and rolled over to go back to sleep. *BRIIIIIING* Still the ring nagged at him and with a resigned sigh he reached out one furry arm "Yeah? Attar here." "Attar, this is Thade, we had an incoming and well, I pulled some strings and your to keep track of our.uh visitor." "Thade? What do you mean visitor?" "Listen Attar, just trust me and get your furry butt down to HQ." The phone hung up with a click and Attar stared dazedly at it before getting up to get dressed. Thade had been his best friend for years and Attar trusted him implicitly, he was also his boss and high on the command chain. So when he said jump, he jumped.  
  
Leo sat dazedly between two hulking gorillas. He had to admit though this situation was slightly better than the last time he had come into contact with apes. At least these ones didn't seem to want to kill him. In fact it was the opposite, they treated him gently, but almost cautiously. He didn't really process this but stored it away for later examination; he was really just concentrating on escape. He didn't know were they were taking him and he knew he wouldn't be able to get back to his pod so he was really screwed. There was now no way with which he could escape out of this world and get back to his own. He wouldn't think like that, if this was a different universe than maybe his ship hadn't crashed here and that they may be able to come and get him. The chance was slim, but Leo clung to it like a drowning man would a life jacket. Besides the two apes next to him, there was a driver and another security ape next to him, in total four, equal to at least twenty men each. Behind him were two motorcycles and in front of him were two police cars. He didn't know exactly how many were in the car but he roughly estimated it to be four, two in the front and two in the back, same as his car. That meant eight in the two cars, twelve including his car and fourteen including the motorcycles. Leo despaired at the odds stacked against him, but he was determined to be free of the apes.  
Leo spotted his chance as they rolled along a quiet suburban street. The apes had been careless, and had left the doors unlocked. This presented a slim chance of being able to clamour over the unsuspecting ape and bolt out the door at the next stoplight. He was depending on the ape to be too startled by this reckless move to act fast enough to catch him when he climbed over his lap. Not the best plan but it was all he had. Holding his breath he waited till the car stopped and made his move. He had been right in the fact that the ape was too startled by this bold move to do more than sit there in shock but he recovered quickly, in time to grab Leo's leg. He needn't have though as the car wasn't stopping at a stoplight but they were at wherever they had been taking him. At the jerk on his leg, he lot his balance and went tumbling to the ground, smacking his chin sharply on the cement ground, splitting his lip. Stars exploded in his eyes he though fuzzily to himself I didn't know you actually saw stars It took him a minute to realize that the stars were flashbulbs from cameras. He was still dazed by the lights and the smack on the head when the gorilla holding his ankle let go and roughly hauled him to his feet. He swayed dizzily and stumbled forward a few steps before the ape standing next to him gave a quiet curse and swung him up in his arms. Giving a startled yelp, Leo kicked the ape in the side and sunk his teeth into his arm. The ape gave a howl of pain and dropped him on his ass. Jumping up Leo started running to where he saw planes sitting on a field. Thanks to his interest in the history of planes he could tell what it was and how to fly it, hopefully. He just hoped it didn't require keys. Halfway there a small, agile chimpanzee brought him down, hard. Hitting his head for the second time in just a few minutes his overloaded body shut down and he fainted.  
  
This was great! The small reporter chimpanzee manuvered himself deftly through the crowd of other apes, to try and get to the front of the mass of reporters in able to catch the first glimpse of the human. There were only a few left in existence and none had ever fallen from the stars. He was therefore startled when the human fell out and smacked his chin on the ground, his lip spurting blood. He had expected them to be a little gentler with an almost extinct species. This was going to make a great story. The ape swung the human up into his arms but gave a yelp and dropped him almost immediately. The human jumped up and started running, towards the airfield? What was he planning to do? Fly a plane? What an interesting twist, could humans possibly be sentient, or have some kind of intelligence? His musings were interrupted as a chimp jumped the human and brought him crashing to the ground, effectively knocking him out and then hustling him into the building out of sight. This was a major story, the abuse of a fragile, endangered species and by the governments best, no less. Yep, this story could really make him and he; Levosan was not about to let it slip through his fingertips.  
  
Attar climbed slowly out of his car, gazing around him, mouth agape. Hulking apes armed to the teeth surrounded the perimeter of the military building, with a mass of reporters crowded around the gate. Flashing his ID he struggled through the bunch to get inside, shoving microphones away from him muttering no comment over and over, because he truly had no idea. Finally he was inside the installation and making his way to his lab. The corridors were busier than he had ever seen them, scientists hurrying to and fro, with guards stationed at every corner. He got to his humble little lab in the basement only to find it heavily guarded. "Um, excuse me? This is my lab and I need to get in, Admiral Thade's orders." "Ah, Attar, glad to see you made, you have missed most of the excitement sadly, but please, come in and meet our new visitor." Thade walked up and ushered him inside grinning like a kid with a juicy secret. Sitting in the middle of the room was a large steel cage with a lone human in odd tattered rags sitting in it, huddled in a corner, watching the whole room closely. "Thade this is amazing, you finally found a human for me to study!" Thade chuckled and pounded him on the back "well you are a specialist in humans are you not? I just figured it was time to put your talents to good use. He is a feisty little thing and clever too. Three times he tried to make a run for it. You should have seen when he came round and we tried to put him in his cage! Fought like a wildcat and wormed his way out like a weasel, we finally had to put a collar on him and chain him to the cage." Attar noticed a slim metal band around the human's neck with a chain fastened to the bars of the cage. "Oh, Thade must we? The poor thing looks scared to death, and pretty beat up. Did you do this to him? You must remember humans are much more fragile than us." Attar admonished his best friend, but it was really half hearted. Squatting down next to the bars he studied the human carefully. "Hmmm, bruises about the torso, face, neck, almost like he was strangled, too big to be other human finger marks, too small for an gorilla must have been a chimpanzee." He muttered, disturbed at the mangled condition of his charge. He needed to get those rags off him and a closer look at him. Looking up at his smiling friend, he grinned happily. This had been his dream for long time, ever since he was a small child and read about humans. "Hey Thade" He asked hesitantly, "could I get a closer look, like take him out of his cage? I need to determine how injured he is." For a moment Thade looked like he was about to say no, but instead gave Attar a rueful grin, "How about you try to get him out and the rest of us will stand by the ready if it fails?" Uncertainly Attar nodded, he knew that it was the only way to get the human out without annoying Thade, so he had to try. Moving around to the door of the cage he wondered how he was going to get the human out, without a fuss. "Hello, my name is Attar." Thade roared with laughter causing the human to jump and Attar to glare at him. "What are you doing Attar, going to ask him to come out?" "It is scientifically proven that humans respond to the sound of your voice not the words, just how you say the words. Please no more loud unexpected noises; it'll just frighten him more." Attar turned back to the cage and started talking in low soothing tones, about the weather, what was in the news, whatever he could think of. The human responded to that and seemed to be relaxing. Cautiously Attar eased the cage door open. The others in the room tensed, but Attar ignored them and continued talking. "C'mon fella, I promise I won't hurt you, but I need to see how bad you're hurt, and I bet some food and a bath wouldn't go amiss, you certainly are not looking too good." Taking a chance Attar eased his paw inside the cage; the human looked at it nervously before moving close enough to put his own small paw in his.  
  
Leo huddled miserably in the corner of his cage. He had come around just as they were putting him in his cage and he definitely did not like that so of course he had to try to get away. Three times he made a run for it and each time they grabbed him. Eventually he was too tired to fight and his head was pounding and he gave in. Shifting on the hard metal floor he wondered if maybe he had a concussion, the way his headache had refused to go away. There was a small commotion near the door and he looked up to see Thade enter along with Attar. Hope flared, Attar had helped him before, and maybe he would help him now. His heart sank as Attar exclaimed over his capture and hurried over to him. He wanted to scream, to tell these..these monkeys that he was a human, that they were the animals and this was all wrong! Instead he scrunched down further and tried to ignore Attar's soft voice. Thade's bark of laughter at whatever he was saying startled him and he twisted around to keep his eye on him. Quietly Attar berated him and came around to the front of his cage and stated to talk soothingly again. Leo basically ignored him but eventually he relaxed his tense muscles as the soft voice flowed over him. When the cage door opened he tensed. Thought about making a run for it, decided not to and lay back against the bars. When Attar stuck one huge hairy paw in he glanced at it uncomprehendingly through a haze of weariness. The words 'food' and 'bath' penetrated the fog and slowly he reached out his hand and placed it in the outstretched paw. The room seemed to be holding its breath and they all let out a small collective gasp of relief when he made no move to escape. Gently Attar drew him out of the cage, unlocking his chain from the bars and gathering him up in his burly arms. Thade gave another bark of laughter and slapped Attar on the back. Leo jumped at the loud noise and aggressive action and tried to twist his body to get away. Attar merely tightened his arms and murmured comforting words to him while shooting a glare at Thade, who meekly backed away. Attar strode over to a metal examination table and laid him gently down on it, his body protesting the loss of Attar's body heat. The cool metal chilled his body and goose bumps marched along his pale skin. As soon as he was lying down, with his chain attached to the table leg the other assistants started moving in. He stared somewhat apprehensively at them but was reassured as Attar waved them away. Slowly, as though not to frighten him the huge ape advanced on him. Leo watched him carefully, not that there was anything he could do should the ape decide to attack, chained up and half naked as he was. The first thing he did was remove the tattered remains of his uniform, his last connection to home. He made a protesting noise and Attar mimed that he was going to wash them. Leo didn't know why he wasn't telling them he could talk, he just didn't want too. He came back with a clipboard and started a physical exam, clucking over every new bruise and writing something down. The assistants were hovering close by in fascination, inching in closer to get a better look. When they were close enough to start to be a nuisance Attar gave a growl and shoved all but three away. The three immediately started bustling about the room getting out bandages and other instruments. Then they all converged on him, bearing trays full of medical equipment.  
  
  
  
Attar was amazed at the state of the human lying quietly before him. His body was battered, with cuts, bruises and scrapes scattered over every inch of his body. He had been starved for some days now, judging by the way his ribs stood out and he was utterly exhausted. It was a miracle he was even conscious right now. Attar growled impatiently at the huddle of his assistants as they jostled to get a better look at the human. Not that they hadn't ever seen one, but the only ones the U.S owned were mostly scattered in various lab facilities in the Midwest. Washington Army Labs had never been privileged to own its human before, especially one that had dropped from the skies. Picking three assistants to help him bathe the human and dress his wounds he pushed the others away. Attar noticed that the human was shivering and his teeth kept clacking together. He racked his brains trying to remember what symptoms those were. Oh yes, the human was cold. The shivering was the body's way of creating friction to generate heat. He would get him some warm blankets as soon as they were through. His assistants had gotten the requested materials and were standing patiently behind them. Motioning them forward he grabbed a sponge, wet it in the warm water and started to gently wipe the human's body. The others soon followed his lead and the human was cleaned in no time. Right, now it was time to clean those cuts and scrapes. His assistant handed him the disinfectant and he gently dabbed at the various lacerations covering the human's body. The human, who had been dozing as they cleaned him jerked awake at the slight sting of the disinfectant and gave a whimper that shot straight to Attar's heart. The poor human, beaten, starved and now locked up in a cage surrounded by unknown apes and at a total physical disadvantage. He couldn't fight any of them, run faster than them or try to hide as he was chained up with a room full of marines watching his every move. The shivering got worse and Attar barked at his assistant to run and fetch the warmest blankets he could find. The assistant scurried away and Attar unchained the human before gently gathering him up into his arms, figuring that his body heat should keep him warm enough until the blankets arrived. Quietly Thade inched closer peering over Attar's burly shoulder. The human's eyes were closed and he had snuggled into Attar, his hands gripping the fabric of his lab coat tightly. The open trusting look on his face as he slept was completely at odds with his earlier behaviour, or maybe he was starting to trust him. " Nice job Attar, now I know why the government is paying you so much." Attar chuckled at Thade's joke. They had been friends since high school and Thade knew about Attar's dream to be able to study humans and maybe even own one and bond with one. After he had seen the way the other scientists around the world behaved with the humans that had only intensified his longing. Most humans where very open and affectionate but only with people that they knew well, and Attar wanted that with his own human. Now it seemed that his dream was coming true.  
The silence was broken by the assistant rushing into the room carrying an armload of blankets and what looked like a large fluffy pillow. Attar grabbed the thickest blanket to wrap the human in and gestured for the assistant to lay the rest down in the cage, making it into a nest which Attar gently layed the sleeping human. Quietly he attached the chain to a bar and closed he door, ushering all but Thade, a few marines and his assistants out. It was time to start the research.  
  
  
  
Slowly Leo awoke, not wanting to leave the warmth of sleep but he had to get up, time for duty. Wait, why hadn't his alarm gone off? No, he wasn't on the ship any more, but then where was he? The planet of the apes, that's right, but in a different one... Leo's eyes flew open as he remembered the details of last night, the remaining cobwebs of sleep being brushed out by his panic. Sitting up he realized he was back in a cage, butt-assed naked but covered in blankets. All his injuries had been taken care of and he remembered being washed too, a luxury that he had missed sorely. Noticing that the human was awake, all the apes rushed over, causing Leo to cringe backward in response. Too many bad experiences making him wary. Attar pushed his way to the front, talking soothingly as he had last night. Leo continued to watch them all warily but relaxed his tense muscles. Just then the door swung open hitting the wall with a loud BANG causing Leo to jump and hit his head on the ceiling. Attar turned around to glare at whoever made the loud noise, but instead hurried over to the short Oragatangue that entered the room. "Good Afternoon, sir! Thank you so much for allowing me the opportunity to study this human!" 


	2. mean orange monkey

The Orangutan muttered something unintelligible and shuffled over to Leo's cage. Behind him came Thade who hurried over to Attar's side and whispered quietly in his ear. Whatever he said caused Attar to shoot Thade a disbelieving look and hurry over to kneel by where Leo was huddled once again. Shrinking back from the weird look Attar was giving him he almost missed the orangutan opening his cage door and yanking on his chain. Just in time Leo grabbed the chain so he wouldn't be strangled at the sharp tug. When he didn't move the orangutan gave another, stronger pull that half dragged Leo to the open cage door. Deciding that surprise was the key Leo gathered his legs under him and launched himself right at the orangutan. He managed to bowl him over and yank his chain out of his hands. Next he jumped to his feet and had to scramble to avoid the marines who were trying to surround him.

Their wariness of the spluttering orangutan gave Leo the chance he needed to make for the door. He was almost there when Thade jumped in front of him, crouched low, arms spread wide. Leo hesitated, remembering how strong and violent Thade had been in their last fight. That hesitation cost him his freedom. One marine grabbed him in a giant bear hug that threatened to break his back. Unable to help himself he gave a yelp of pain as the ape tightened his arms. Abruptly he was released and dropped to the floor in a heap, taking deep breaths to stem the tide of pain crawling up and down his back. Attar kneeled in front of him and carefully gathered him in his arms. Still dazed he was brought unresisting back to his cage and bundled inside, the chain attached firmly to a bar and the door securely locked. With a quiet moan he curled up into a ball and pulled some blankets over him. Obviously he needed some other form of attack if he was going to get out of the lab. Maybe next time he'd try it when there wasn't a ton of apes standing around watching him. Yeah, that sounded like a better plan.

Eventually Leo uncurled enough to notice what was going on around him. Thade seemed to be yelling at the marine who had almost broken his back while Attar looked to be trying to soothe the angry orangutan he had bowled over. "Please sir! He's been badly handled and very nervous around apes! He still is hurting, tired and has had very little sleep. If you come back in a week or two I will have been able to train him some more and give you a thorough brief on him." The orangutan glared up at Attar before giving a sharp nod and turning on his heel, left. The whole room seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

Except Attar. Now that the orangutan had left he felt free to vent his anger. "The nerve! Coming in here and trying to man handle my human. He's pompous, devoid of originality and critical sense, blind and deaf to all innovation! Just because he heads the department on human studies and is my boss, thinks he owns the creatures! He wouldn't know what to do with a real live human if it hit him over the head!"

"Which it kind of did Attar." Grinning Thade walked up to his friend and layed a hand on his arm. "Just relax. That human showed that he won't let just anybody touch him. His obvious preference for you ensures that you'll get to stay on the project. An unwilling and scared human is not the easiest subject to study. You saw how he was with you last night. Cuddled right up to ya, after fighting like a wild man with the rest of us for hours."

"Your right Thade." Rubbing a weary hand over his eyes Attar sighed. "It just irritates me how Dr. Boulle thinks that everything should bow to him." Giving a smile of satisfaction Attar crouched down next to my cage. "Well, this fella certainty nixed that assumption. By the way Thade, did you really mean what you said earlier? That this humans ship came from out of the solar system?"

"Yup. Techies traced it as far as Pluto and then lost the trail." Leo was confused. His ship had appeared right beside Earth. He didn't come in by way of Pluto. Well, maybe he had and the wormhole had just gone by to fast for him to have seen it. "Seems our little wild man here is from outer space."

"So his ship wasn't launched by another country?" Attar asked.

"Well, we haven't ruled that option out." Thade shrugged, "Seems to me that the technology is too sophisticated for Russia or China, even Japan. We are still gonna look into that possibility though. Seems more likely than this ragged human built the ship himself." Leo felt something inside him crumble. These apes possessed the same superior attitude they had had on the last planet. Leo didn't think he had it in him to lead another revolution. Besides, humans seemed to be some sort of endangered species here, not even enough people to fight in a revolution. Leo sighed once more and turned to lie back down, groaning as the pain in his back flared to life.

"Jeez Attar. Maybe you should look at his back. Krell squeezed him pretty tight." Attar nodded agreement and moved around to the front of the cage and began to unlock his cage. Leo had had enough of apes for the day however and moved back into the farthest corner of his cage. He was not going to budge. Not. However, the crestfallen look on Attars face made him reconsider. Thade had said that Attars bond with him was the only guarantee that he would stay on the project. Resigned he slowly crawled across to the Attar, hissing at the painful twinges this action caused in his back. Swiftly Attar swung him up in his arms, and gently deposited him on the examining table he remembered from the night before.

"Boss, you gotta let me take this one! I know I can get a good story but you gotta give me the chance!" Sighing in frustration Pericles listened to his boss shoot down his dreams of winning a Pulitzer Prize. He knew he could get the scoop on the human who fell from space. He just knew it! So why wasn't his boss giving him the chance! "I'm gonna get this story boss. Even if I have to go freelance!" Not giving his boss a chance to reply Pericles slammed the payphone down and stalked out into the cool night air. He would go freelance if need be and then his boss would be begging him to run the story in his paper. Pericles would hate to give up the resources journalists had at the office, but he would do whatever was necessary to get the story! Not to mention his interest had been piqued. Admittedly he hadn't seen a whole lot of humans or studied their behavior but something about that human was different and he was going to find out what.

After making sure the human had suffered little more than a few bruises Attar deposited him in his cage after feeding him and dosing him with a slight tranquilizer. Confident the human would get some much needed rest he headed out of the lab to get some lunch. "Attar! Attar wait up!" Attar tuned to watch Ari and Zira run to catch up with him. "So Attar, how goes it?" He couldn't help but laugh.

"I wondered when you two would show up!" Ari and Zira were both scientists like himself and while neither specialized in humans, were interested and spent many hours with him discussing them. "He is fine. A little beaten and bruised but otherwise unharmed. Though, Boulle showed up today and gave him quite a scare." Attar grimaced as he remembered the bruises mottling the humans back and the shadows lurking in his eyed whenever an ape came near him.

"Well, why don't you tell us all about him," Ari linked arms with him as she said this and Zira grabbed his other arm "Yes, tell us everything, over lunch of course!" Zira giggled and shot Attar a sly smile "But your buying!" Attar smiled down at his two friends knowing he was well and truly caught. "By the way, what have you decided to call him?" Attar wrinkled his brow in thought. "I know the perfect name!" He smiled at the two faces turned up to his, eagerly awaiting his reply, "Ulysses."

"What a wonderful name!" Ari exclaimed, echoed by Zira. "Now lets go eat and hear all about our exciting new guest on the base!"


	3. lunch

Sorry this is so short. Just haven't been inspired as of late. Also, sorry about the format. I'm not sure what is wrong, but I'll try to work on it. If anyone knows what might be wrong, e-mail me. 

It occurs to me that I haven't done any kind of disclaimer either. Not mine. 

After escorting his two friends to the base cafeteria Attar eagerly explained how he was most interested in the emotional bonds humans formed with their caretakers. "I wish I could see him interact with other humans but the others are so scattered about the country it would be very difficult. Not to mention I couldn't leave him there long enough to truly get acquainted with the others." Attar shrugged his shoulders. "But it will be interesting to see how he bonds with the apes. I will assign two permanent guards so that one or the other is always with him, plus the same research assistants to help me in physical examinations. I will be the only one who feeds and bathes him. Though I cannot really start the project until he gets used to being held by other apes and of course find out where he came from." Zira giggled.

"It would be so much easier if he could just talk to us. Though the thought of a human talking is so ridiculous it makes me want to laugh!

"Now wait a minute Zira! Studies have shown that some humans can talk. At least have the equipment necessary for making parroting noises. Whether they understand what they are saying is another thing." Attar felt obliged to defend his human. After all, respect was part of bonding as friends. "Besides, my human seems extra smart. Tried to escape a million times." Attar chuckled at the memory of the fat orangutan being knocked on his ass by a human. 

"Hey Attar! Attar!" Attar twisted around in his seat at the sound of his name. Spotting Thade at the front of the cafeteria he waved one hairy arm in acknowledgement. 

"Hate to eat and run ladies but it looks like I'm needed. Stop by later and I'll show you Ulysses in person." Throwing his half eaten lunch in the trash Attar hurried over to where Thade was impatiently waiting, shifting from foot to foot. 

"Listen Attar. I just came from a briefing and I think your human is in danger. We don't know where he came from, or any of the technology we salvaged from his ship and that's got the bigwigs pretty upset. You need to work with him to find some kind of answer that will satisy the higher-ups that he is no harm. Or go the press. As a last resort of course, but if the country is aware of him, he can't Ôdisappear,' if you know what I mean." Thade and Attar had been walking as they talked but now Attar stopped short and turned to face his companion.

"They couldn't really do anything to him, could they?" Attar couldn't keep the disbelief out of his voice. Humans were endangered, but Attar knew the government was ruthless in their actions against perceived dangers and quick to eliminate all threats, real or imagined. "Alright Thade. I'll start work right away. Maybe you should find a trustworthy reporter for me to talk toÉ just in case." With that, Attar hurried off to his lab, anxious to check on Ulysses in person.


	4. discovery

When Attar walked into his lab it was chaos. Guards were everywhere, shouting and arguing. Ulysses was still in his cage, thank God but he looked like he was going to have a heart attack at any moment. "Quiet! QUIET!" Attar took a deep breath once all was quiet and turned to one of the guards he had left in charge. "What is going on here?"

"Sir, just after you left these apes barged in here demanding the human, saying he needed to be taken in for some tests but you left us specific orders that he was not to be taken anywhere." Attar nodded.

"Thank you." He turned to one of the other guards, "what do you have to say in defense of yourself?" The ape he turned to snapped to attention and fairly spit out his words.

"We had orders from Dr. Boulle, your boss, to take the human and run a CAT scan and take x-rays, sir." Attar's brow wrinkled at this. Boulle knew he had already scheduled those tests and that he would be the first to get the results. Why send in guards to take the human? It didn't make any sense!

Thank you. Despite your orders you cannot take Ulysses anywhere. I am under orders from General Thade himself that this human does not leave my care. I will call Dr. Boulle directly and discuss this matter with him immediately." Dismissing the apes Attar turned to Ulysses. He was curled up in the corner of his cage as far away from the commotion as he could get. His eyes were wide, if a little unfocused because of the drugs he had taken earlier, and his breathing was rapid. Worried that he might hyperventilate Attar hurried over and unlocked the cage. Ulysses just stared at him for a moment, a look of utter weariness passing over his face before he slowly crawled over to him. Gently Attar swung him up in his arms and talked soothingly to him, "Shhh now, no one is going to hurt you. This has been a very hard day for you hasn't it? Well, don't worry, I won't go anywhere for the rest of the day, ok?" Attar watched in amazement as Ulysses nodded his head. Did the human understand what he had said? Was he nodding in response to his words? "I bet you're really tired too, aren't you?" Another nod. Attar tried to not tense up in excitement but it was so hard! He was responding to him! No one in the history of human science had ever gotten this kind of sentient response in a human being! "Well, I'll just put back into your cage to get some sleep, would you like that?" Another silent nod. He actually understood! This was a breakthrough and a way to prove that his human was too unique to just 'disappear.'

Thade glanced warily around the small diner before looking at the little chimp seated in front of him. God he hated reporters. Always poking their noses in where they weren't wanted. Bunch of liberal, prying snoops. _This is for Attar though._ He reminded himself. He could deal with reporters for Attar's sake. Alright Mr. Gradou I-"

"Pease call me Pericles."

"Alright then, Preicles, here's the deal. The human who crashed landed just a day or two ago is in danger of 'disappearing' due to his threat level.

"Threat level? Disappearing? Can you explain that?" The chimp had his notebook out, pen poised, head cocked to the side so as not to miss a word.

"We don't know where he came from, or any of his technology. If he was a test pilot for another country, that would be different but none of his technology matches any of the other countries. Plus he was tracked as far as Pluto before disappearing outside our tracking ranges. It is not possible for any country on earth to launch something as sophisticated as that, have it circle the solar system and maybe beyond, without us knowing about it. So the question is, where did he come from? The higher-ups don't like questions like that, especially in regards to such high technology. So he might just 'disappear' so we can question him, dissect him, whatever we want to get answeres." Thade pointed a finger at Pericles. "That's where you come in. If it looks like that, the public needs to know about this human. Then the government can't just hide him away. Humans are too rare and no matter that his technology is so advanced, he's still just a human." Pericles scribbled madly trying to get everything down. When he was finished he looked up with a frown.

"Why are you telling me this now? I could go the press with what I have here and blow this whole thing wide open? Why do you trust me to wait?" It was a good question. One Thade didn't really have an answer for.

"If you try to do that, I'll kill you." Well, threats of violence always did work well. "The government is not without resources in the press. Plus, this thing is going to get a whole lot bigger I think. There is something special about that human. Not just his ship but him personally. He's a smart one but there's more than that." Thade shook his head. "It's hard to describe...but I think he's going to shake up this country, in a big way."

Attar paced impatiently. He had just talked to Dr. Boulle, who claimed he hadn't sent those guards. If he hadn't who had? What did they want? It was a good thing Thade was looking into a reporter, because it looked like they were going to need one. Attar jumped in surprise when the door slammed open but sighed with relief when Thade walked through. "Than goodness Thade, I think we have a problem." Thade ignored him and walked over to Ulysses cage.

"How's the little guy doing?" Attar beamed. Despite all his worries he was full to bursting with excitement over his human's ability to understand Attar.

"Wonderful! I thin there is more to this human than meets the eye." Thade looked at him curiously. "When I was talking to him earlier, he responded to my questions. No words just nodded." Attar held up a hand to for stall anything Thade had to say. "I asked him several questions to make sure that it wasn't a fluke. Just simple yes or no questions but he understood everyone of them Thade. I think it's just a matter of time before he starts talking."

"The sooner the better. I talked to a guy and he's willing to help us out. Of course, if this human can talk, there is no way that he could 'disappear.' Thade looked grim but also a little hopeful. He understood what a breakthrough it would be if this human could talk and ration like an ape. He would be the missing link. Both turned to look at the sleeping human and wondered what was in store for all of them.


	5. the truth

Attar was torn. He really should go home, get some sleep, maybe a shower But he wasn't sure he could just leave Ulysses alone. What if someone came and took him? Pacing restlessly around the room Attar went over his options. He could just be paranoid and if that was the case he should just leave. If not then what. He could some guards but he still felt uneasy leaving the human. Too bad he couldn't take him home with him. Even if he got permission Attar knew how impractical and unsafe it would be to take the human out of the lab. Picking up the phone Attar dialed Thade's number and waited impatiently until he picked up.

"Thade here."

" Thade, its Attar, listen I need a favor. I really need to go home, just for a quick shower and a change of clothes but I don't want to leave Ulysses so could you come down and watch over him while I'm gone?" All this came out in a rush and there was a pause on the phone as Thade tried to process what Attar had just said.

"Ummm, yeah, I can do that, just give me a me a second to gather up some things, I'll be right down." Attar released the breath he hadn't even been aware he'd been holding a hurried to gather up some of his own materials before Thade came down.

Slowly Leo came awake. The first thing he was aware of was the various aches and pains all over his body. His back especially hurt. Well, getting squeezed like a go-gurt couldn't be good for a person. Next Leo noticed how silent it was in the room. Usually when he woke up it was to lots of noise, lots of apes. Opening bleary eyes Leo struggled to take in his surroundings. Man, what kind of drugs had Attar given him? Blinking to bring the room into focus Leo fought against the effects of the drugs. Attar didn't seem to be in the room, in fact, the lab looked empty. Movement out of the corner of his eye caused him to whip his head around and adrenaline to surge through his body. An ape was sitting hunched over a desk, but the ape's body was too small to be Attar. Fear raced through him. It was Thade. Leo must have made some noise or movement because Thade looked up and right into his eyes. "Well, well. Looks like our little man finally woke up." Getting up from his chair Thade strolled over to his cage and crouched down by the bars. "How ya feeling?" Leo just looked at him. Thade had never addressed questions to him before. He looked like he really expected answers too. What had changed? Vague memories drifted into Leo's head. He remembered lots of yelling, apes yelling, then Attar's gentle voice. Attar's voice asking him questions. Leo paled. Questions he had answered. Warily he backed away from Thade. "What, no answers for me?" Thade's eyes went from inquisitive to hard and flat. "I know you can understand me, at least a little. What I need to know is how much."

Quicker than Leo's drug addled eye could follow Thade had whipped open the cage and was tugging him out. "Let's go human. I need some answers and I need them now, or you're done for." Absolute terror chased away the last of the drugs in Leo's system. He remembered what happened when Thade got angry. Leo allowed himself to be dragged out of his cage. He needed room to maneuver if he was going to fight. Thade seemed to read his mind because he grinned and backed up a little. "Go ahead and try and fight little man, but don't forget you're still chained up." Leo turned his head to look at where Thade was pointing and was caught off guard when Thade swung one meaty paw at his head. The blow sent him sprawling and struggling to remain conscious. Thade bent down and picked him up by the throat. "Do you understand what I'm asking human? I need to know if you can talk, think, reason like any ape. If you can't, you're likely to 'disappear,' if you get my drift. So answer me, can you do those things?" Thade's hard brown eyes bored into Leo's as his hand tightened until Leo's vision started to go black. Almost imperceptibly Leo nodded his head.

Just then the door opened and Attar walked in. "Thade!" Attar was shocked to see his best friend and most trusted ally, strangling Ulysses. Immediately Thade dropped the human who slumped to the floor, coughing.

Putting his hands up Thade tried to explain. "Now wait just one minute Attar. I had to, we need answers and he has them. We couldn't wait until he trusted us enough to tell us, we don't have that kind of time." Attar just stood there, looking utterly betrayed. "He's fine Attar, really and now we have the surefire answer to keeping him safe. Don't you see Attar, I _had_ to _know_." Attar's surprise had started to turn to anger now.

"Did it ever occur to you to just _ask_?! No wonder he doesn't trust apes, look how he's been treated since he arrived!" Attar clenched his big paws into tight fists to keep himself from hitting Thade. "Well, was it worth it Thade? Did attacking a defenseless human give you the answers you need?" Attar advanced on Thade, shaking with anger. "Was the answer worth betraying your friends trust?" Thade was getting angry in return.

"You don't understand Attar! The higher-ups are getting ready to make their move, to nab the human and pass of the whole crash landing as an experiment we were conducting. Now we have something concrete enough to go to the press with and protect him!"

Leo lay still on the ground, ironically forgotten in the fight. As he listened to Thade and Attar argue he started to understand. He had kept quiet for fear of standing out more than he already had. If they figured he was just a dumb human involved in an experiment he had had a better chance of escaping. But it was coming clear to him that by keeping silent he was in more danger. Drawing a deep breath he interrupted the apes. "Thade's right. This is my only chance." Leo hated that his voice came out sounding ragged and weak. Both apes stopped and stared at him. Leo was suddenly aware that he was naked and he _hurt._ Thade had certainly done a number on him, again. Gingerly he tried to get to his feet but swayed and would have fallen if not for Attar's supporting arms. As he fell into blackness Leo felt irritated that he couldn't seem to stay conscious very long around all these apes.


	6. talking

Thade was silent as Attar carried Ulysses over to the exam table and gently laid him on it. He was looking pretty rough around the edges and Thade couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the human. He probably shouldn't have hit him so hard. He was just so mad that he didn't have answers and without them he couldn't protect the human, meaning he couldn't protect Attar. Thade was pulled out of his thoughts by Attar's quiet mumblings. 'He always did talk out loud' Thade thought fondly to himself. Despite their difference in rank and interests Attar really was his best friend and Thade would do anything to help him. "How's he doing?" Thade inquired softly. Attar didn't answer right away and Thade was worried something was wrong. Maybe he had seriously damaged the fragile human when he hit him. Sometimes Thade forgot about how strong he was.

"He's fine. He actually should come around pretty soon. He must have stood up to fast after too much oxygen deprivation. He shouldn't suffer any lasting harm though." Attar grabbed a blanket off the shelf and gently wrapped Ulysses up while he answered, carefully not looking at Thade.

"Attar, talk to me. I know you're mad but please understand I did this for you." Attar finished wrapping up the human and turned to look at Thade. The room was silent as they looked at each other. Attar's face was neutral as he looked into Thade's pleading eyes. Finally he sighed and rubbed a hand over his tired eyes and walked over to sit heavily on his desk.

"I do understand Thade. I just… couldn't you have figured out a different way to get the answers you needed? Or talked to me first? Did you really have to hurt him? What if he never trusts us again and we have to force him to talk every time?" He turned around and slammed his fists on his desk. "I just…damn it Thade you should have told me! Instead you go behind my back and beat it out of a defenseless and fragile creature that already mistrusts us!" Taking a deep breath Attar tried to control his anger. He knew that Thade was just doing what was best for him and for Ulysses.

Whatever Thade was going to say in response was forgotten when they heard a quiet groan from the human. Attar quickly hurried over to him while Thade hovered in the back round. He knew that the human would not appreciate him looming over him after their little encounter. Slowly they watched him come awake. He seemed confused at first and then alarmed at the confines of the blanket. Attar had wrapped him a little too tightly, too caught up in his maelstrom of emotions to pay close attention. Attar quickly stepped forward to help him unwind from the blanket but then he stepped back and waited for the human to act first.

Leo was uncomfortably aware of the close scrutiny of the two apes as they waited for him to say something. What was he supposed to say though? Should he tell them the truth? Or would that lead to weird science experiments? Maybe he should just say he is an exceptionally well-trained human, or that he was raised as an ape. "Umm, I guess I should start with my name. Leo Davidson. Captain Leo Davidson actually" The two apes just stood there looking dumbfounded. This was the first time he had ever spoken so of course they were surprised Leo reasoned. Still they should say something. Attar was the first to recover.

"You're name…is Leo Davidson. A human being just told me his name. Holy shit." Attar's legs seemed to give out and he sat down abruptly on the nearest chair. "Okay, okay. Let's think this through. We have a highly intelligent human being…who can talk. A human being who can talk. A talking human being. A talking human being who said his name is Leo Davidson" All of the sudden Attar jumped to his feet. "THADE WE HAVE A HUMAN BEING WHO CAN TALK! IN OUR LAB! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS? HE CAN TALK! HE'S THE MISSING LINK BETWEEN APES AND HUMANS! THE HUMAN BEING WHO CAN TALK! REASON!" Thade smiled at his friends shouting. Sometimes it took a little while for things to process in Attar's mind. Attar rushed over to the human…to Leo and would have picked him up and hugged him except that Leo suddenly recoiled, a look of terror on his face.

Leo couldn't help but flinch when Attar started shouting and jumping around. He forced himself to sit still and calm his heart. But when Attar suddenly leapt towards him, arms outstretched he had to pull back. His pulse was racing and adrenaline surge through his body. He just couldn't see an ape rushing towards him as anything but a threat. Thankfully Attar slowed his rush and stopped a few feet from where he still lay on the exam table, tangled in the blanket. God his body hurt too much to fight or run if that situation arose. Leo fought the panic running through his body. Sure he couldn't get away but he didn't _need_ to. Attar wouldn't hurt him. Logically he knew that but his body didn't seem to. Shaking he tried to pull himself together. 'Attar won't hurt me, Attar won't hurt me' he repeated to himself.

Attar just stood there, a look of such sadness in his eyes as Leo tried to get it together. Attar had tried so hard to befriend him, make him feel safe and cared for. Leo hated that look on Attar's face.

"Just don't…don't rush me, you know? I do trust you Attar; I want you to know that. I've just had a tough time around apes lately and I need some space." Leo couldn't help but laugh at the look on Attar's face after his little speech. Still seemed like he was processing the whole talking thing. He was feeling more relaxed but tensed when Thade stepped closer, next to Attar. He couldn't help but wonder what other tactics he would use to get the answers he thought he needed.

"What did you mean by 'Captain'? Where are you from? Why were you flying that spaceship? Why did it crash?" Leo squirmed. He had to decide. Should he tell the truth, or make up a cover story. Looking up into Attar's trusting face he decided to just tell the truth. He must have wanted to do that subconsciously or else he wouldn't have tacked on the whole 'Captain' thing.

"Well, it's kind of a long story but I'll make it short for now. Basically I come from an alternate universe where humans are the dominant species and apes are the animals. We have achieved some fairly sophisticated levels of technology and space flight but I was serving a mission in an unknown area of space and while out scouting I was sucked into some kind of wormhole. I crashed on an ape ruled planet, escaped and ended up here. That's the bare bones anyway."

There was silence after Leo finished speaking, broken when Thade whirled and stalked over to the phone on Attar's desk. "What are you doing Thade?" Attar looked nervous that Thade seemed about to call somebody.

"We need to call my press guy. This is big Attar. Really big. Bigger than you or me. This human needs to be questioned, needs to talk with our scientists and NASA and whoever else. He's from an _alternate dimension_ Attar. He's not just an ordinary human with extra training. Once this hits the press he can't just 'disappear', we've made sure of that, but the higher-ups need to know about this." Attar looked shocked.

"WHAT? After all we've done you want me to give him away? Besides, physically he's not up to the strain of undergoing a battery of tests and life in the spotlight. Thade, give me a day or two to get him fixed up a little. Just a day or two, please." Lowering his voice Attar stepped closer to Thade. "Please Thade. A day or two will also give me a chance to bond more with him. I have to stay with him then because he won't trust anybody else." Thade looked deep into Attar's eyes. Could he deny his friend his lifelong dream? No, he couldn't. Sighing he hung up the phone.

"Just two days Attar. Tomorrow I'm going to set up meetings with my press guy and my bosses. Until then, keep him safe." Already half regretting his decision Thade walked out. They had better bond quickly or Attar was out of luck. This human was too much of a find to ignore.

With Thade gone that left Leo and Attar alone. Leo actually felt better with Thade gone but Attar looked a little apprehensive. "So Ulysses…uh, Leo, How are you feeling." When in doubt, fall back into doctor mode.

"Truthfully, like shit. Thade certainly packs a punch. Not too mention that huge ape the other day. But I think I'll survive. With a little sleep and maybe some food?" Leo hinted. Man he was starving. Attar grinned.

"Sure I can feed you. How about we take a walk down to the cafeteria. You can meet my friends Zira and Ari. You have to act like a normal human though. No talking at least. The rest I can pass off as well trained. There's actually a human in China that can eat with silverware." Leo quirked an eyebrow at Attar's excitement.

"Silverware, huh? I think your human can do that just as good as any china guy's human." Leo paused and looked down at himself. "Ummm, can I have some clothes first though?"


	7. more problems

Leo knew he must look ludicrous as he walked down the hall wearing oversized blue scrubs. The whole outfit was ridiculously big on him. The neckline hung off one shoulder and the hem fell almost to his knees. The pant cuffs had had to be rolled up two or three times so he didn't trip and he was desperately trying to hold his pants up. No matter how tight he tried to tie the drawstring the pants were just too large for him. They kept slipping down his narrow hips despite his handful of blue material as Attar had insisted they hands as they walked saying people might get nervous that he was under no restraints at all. Leo had flatly refused to wear the color and leash so this had been the compromise, though Leo was pretty sure no one would get nervous if he weren't holding Attar's hand. He looked like a little kid, not a dangerous animal.

Attar stopped to say hello to a number of apes as they walked down the hall but didn't allow any of them to touch Leo, for which Leo was extremely grateful. He trusted Attar but still had a problem with other apes, especially gorillas. As they entered the cafeteria Leo couldn't repress the shudder that ran through him at the sight of so many apes. The cafeteria was huge, at least the size of a football field and packed full. He noticed absently that the different kind of apes seemed to stick together with very little intermixing. The apes wearing lab coats seemed to be the exception. They were all huddled in a corner talking animatedly over their lunch trays. 'Just like back home' Leo thought. The officers and the grunts never mixed and even within those two groups the races usually distanced themselves from others. The scientists were always the exception. They loved to get together and talk theory with no thought as to the appearance or rank of each other.

Leo was pulled out of his thoughts as Attar led him deeper into the cafeteria, tugging gently on his hand to keep him close to his side. Leo was more than happy to oblige. It felt like all eyes were on him as he and Attar made their way through the cafeteria. "Leo, I need to have both hands when I go up and get food so I'm going to leave you with my friends Ari and Zira. They're really nice so don't be scared ok?" There was a ripple of laughter from the apes nearest them as they heard Attar talking to him. Leo clenched his teeth together to stop himself from shouting. He knew he couldn't blow their surprise and start talking but he hated being ridiculed like he was just some dumb animal. He was so busy trying to keep himself in check he hardly noticed when they stopped walking. Startled he looked up into the friendly faces of two chimpanzees and almost fell over from shock. Ari was here. What were the odds that she would be in this facility and friends with Attar. Playing dumb around Ari was going to be even more humiliating than playing dumb around the other apes. "Ari, Zira, this is Ulysses. Is it ok if I leave him with you while I go get some food for us?"

Attar couldn't help but laugh as his friend's faces lit up at his suggestion. He knew that they were as interested in humans as he was and had been dying to see Ulysses. His laughed died away as he looked down into Leo's stricken face. Poor human, looked scared to death and no wonder. Everytime Attar left him alone something bad happened and he ended up with more injuries. Crouching down Attar gently grabbed Leo's chin and looked him straight in the eye. "Don't worry Leo, these are my friends and they've been really excited to meet you. I promise that they'll keep you safe, alright? You have nothing to be afraid of." He gave Leo one last hard look before he stood up and gave Zira his hand. "He's had some bad experiences with apes, so take good care of him, ok?"

"You can count on us!" Ari said confidently, grabbing Leo's other hand. Attar had to admit they made an adorable picture with Leo in his oversized clothes threatening to fall off his slight body, holding the hands of the two chimps.

"Thanks so much girls, I'll be right back." Attar tore his gaze away from Leo's reproachful look and went in search of food. "Now what would Leo like?"

"Talking to yourself again Attar." The mocking voice of one of his chief rivals for research funding floated over. "I see you brought your pet human in for a little show and tell. Looks kind of scrawny to me. I hope your taking good care of him." Attar glared at the mocking chimp.

"What? You think you could take care of him better Martin? Sorry to inform you it takes a brain to accomplish that. Oh yeah, and a soul. Too bad you don't have either." Attar ignored whatever comment Martin made and walked away. 'Arrogant prick! Self-righteous little toady! Like he could take care of a human.' Attar fumed to himself, 'he wouldn't even know where to start with one!'

Leo looked up apprehensively at the two scientists as they led him over to a table full of apes. 'They're just a bunch of monkeys, and you are a Captain, one that travels the galaxy and has faced all sorts of danger. You can handle this.' Leo squared his shoulders and allowed himself to be pulled towards the table. Almost immediately he changed his mind as he was swarmed by apes. Hands were everywhere, touching his hair, his face, any exposed skin. It was when he was pulled onto the lap of some random gorilla that he decided captain or no captain he was going to have a heart attack if Attar didn't come back ASAP.

Eventually someone did put a stop to all the manhandling but it wasn't Attar or even Ari or Zira. "Enough!" Everyone stopped at the growl from the diminutive chimp. "You idiots don't know how to handle a human. That moron Attar should have never left him with you fools." The unknown chimp glared at everybody for a moment before he grabbed Leo's hand and started to drag him away.

"Now wait just one minute Martin. That human doesn't belong to you. No matter what you think he's Attar's and Attar left him in our care. We won't let you just take him away." Zira planted herself in front of Martin as Ari reached out to grab Leo's other hand. Next thing he knew he felt like his arms were being pulled out as the two battled over him. Others joined in and the argument got louder and louder and the pull on Leo's arms got stronger and stronger. It had to stop eventually. When Leo felt his left arm being torn out of it's socket he couldn't hold in the scream of pain. Both chimps were so startled they dropped his arms and he collapsed to the floor clutching his arm. Silence settled around them as everyone realized what had happened. When Zira crouched down next to him and tried to look at his arm Leo bolted. He couldn't help himself. All he could think of through his haze of pain was that he needed to find Attar. Everyone was too shocked to react in time and Leo managed to run out of the cafeteria and disappear into the maze of corridors that made up the base.


	8. Bonding

Sorry this has taken so long for me to post. Just not inspired as of late. Thanks so much for all the positive reviews though, especially sarahofearth. I love the enthusiasm! I have no idea when the next chapter will be up but one will be eventually, so don't worry about the story being abandoned.

This story is un-beta'd so my apologies for any grammatical/spelling errors!

Through a haze of pain Leo staggered as fast as he could through the base, clutching his injured arm and biting his lip to keep quiet the cries of pain that each jolt caused. Eventually though Leo had to stop. Breathing raggedly he leaned against a non-descript gray wall, trying to calm his racing heart and panicked thoughts. Clenching his teeth he tried to think through the pain radiating from his arm to formulate a plan. He had no idea where on the base he was, where Attar might be or where any of his enemies might be. So first thing he needed to do was find some cover. He was a sitting duck in the long empty corridor; he'd been lucky no one had spotted him in his staggering dash through the base. Eyeing both ends of the corridor Leo slowly slid towards a door slightly to his left. Oh so queietly he went up on tiptoe to peer though the glass slit in the door set right above the handle. The view was limited but Leo knew that he had a better chance in a room than sitting out in an open hallway. Hesitantly he reached out and grasped the handle, his left arm-hanging limp at his side. Gently he turned the handle and gave the door a slight push, just enough so that it swung open all the way, to prove that there was no one standing behind the door.

Taking a quick survey of the room Leo darted in and closed the door, breathing a sigh of relief for being out of the open hallway. He was too defenseless out there, especially with his arm. 'Right, the arm.' Gently slipping off the oversized top Leo tried to judge how injured the arm was and whether he would be able to fix it himself. 'No problem, just a dislocation, all I gotta do is pop it back into place.' Grimly Leo took a tight hold of his shoulder and with one deep breath savagely twisted. With a sickening wet pop the joint slid back into place. Leo tried but failed to hold back a scream of pain that echoed in the empty room and trailed off into choked whimpers. Falling to his knees Leo curled up on himself, breathing deeply, trying to hold back tears of pain and hoping his scream didn't attract any curious apes. Hearing the sudden shouts in the hallway it seemed that his luck had once again run out. With a weak curse Leo hauled himself to his feet and gave the room a frantic scan, trying to find someplace to hide, a way to escape, something, anything! The only thing he spotted was a closet in the back of the room. "Well, better than nothing," He muttered to himself and started to drag his battered body towards the door.

Before he could make it the door burst open and with a wild shout a chimp launched himself at Leo. Allowing himself to fall flat to the ground the chimp sailed harmlessly over his head and landed with a thump on the floor about five feet from him. Leo watched in growing panic as the chimp bounced to his feet and grinned maliciously at him. "Well, well, aren't we the clever little human. Now sit still and we won't have to hurt you anymore than we already have to." Scooting back frantically Leo tried to get his feet under him, to stand up, to run, anything, but it seemed his body had had enough and his legs kept giving out and he kept slipping back down onto his butt. He wasn't even halfway across the room when the door burst open. Fear blossomed and threatened to overtake him as apes poured in the door, some clutching ominous looking black guns and nets, but all of them looking pissed and dangerous.

As soon as Attar heard the scream the whole cafeteria go quiet he knew that something had happened to Leo. Dropping the tray he was carrying he ran back to where his friends and Martin stood in a quiet huddle. "What happened?" Ari and Zira only stared at him blankly. Grabbing Ari's shoulders he gave her a rough shake. "Ari tell me what happened, where's Ulysses, why is Martin here? Ari, tell me what's going on!" The urgency in Attar's voice seemed to break through Ari's shock.

"I…we were just sitting around…Martin, Martin tried to take Ulysses away. We tried to stop him, I…I grabbed his hand, Martin had the other one. I don't know what happened, one minute he was fine the next he screamed. He…he dropped to the floor and then he just took off running!" Attar could only stare at her, slowly letting his hands fall away from her shoulders, the words not quite sinking in. Leo had been hurt and had run. Run away from him. Now who knows where he was, somewhere hurt and scared. Attar had failed him. He had promised Leo nothing would happen to him and now look what had happened. "Where are you going Martin? This is more your fault than mine or Zira's!" Attar turned to see Martin sneering at Zira.

"Please! If you imbeciles hadn't been pawing him like an animal I wouldn't have needed to come over here in the first place. And if you hadn't grabbed his arm and pulled he would have been safe in my care, not running around the base injured. Now I'm going to go look for him, not stand around gossiping all day!"

"Now wait just a minute Martin! This is my human and I will find him. He was given to me and despite your problems with that he is still in my care until the generals say otherwise!" Attar glared at the diminutive chimp as if daring him to contradict him. "Now _I_ will go look for and treat _my_ human." Turning glare on Zira and Ari he said, "You two will stay here. Ulysses is my human and I will find him. Understand?" At their silent nods he turned on his heel and stalked off. In reality he had no idea where he could find Leo. The base wasn't as big as some but it was a pretty confusing mess of hallways and rooms. The best idea was to call security and see of they could spot him on any of their cameras. Unknown to Attar Martin also left the cafeteria to hunt down Leo, but Martin had an advantage. He knew where Leo was.

Warily the apes spread out around Leo forming a loose circle guns and nets at the ready. Leo froze. 'Well shit.' For a long moment no one moved, so it was a bit of an odd tableau that Martin broke in on. One battered human and a platoon of apes, all motionless. "What are you waiting for fools, capture him!" Martin's shout seemed to rouse the guards and the circle quickly tightened around Leo. Seeing a slight break in the circle Leo lunged between to startled guards and tried to make a run for it, adrenaline giving his aching body the boost it needed to carry him into the hallway where he was brought up short by running into a seemingly immovable object. Knocked flat on his ass once more Leo looked…right into the face of Thade. 'Well, damnit, my luck seems to just get better and better.' Leo thought wryly to himself as Thade reached down and hauled him up by his arm. The only problem, Thade had grabbed him by the arm that he had just popped back into place, and while not as painful as it was, it was sore enough to wring a scream of pain from his throat. Startled Thade dropped his arm and Leo staggered a few steps away at the sudden release, right into Martin. With a crow of triumph Leo was swept up in the chimps arms. Anger engulfed Leo, replacing the pain and fear of a moment ago. This damn arrogant chimp was the reason he was in this mess in the first place! With a low growl of anger Leo suddenly lashed out, his fist catching him unawares in the jaw, snapping his head to the side. Martin dropped Leo to the ground and with an angry growl of his own backhanded him to the floor. "Bad human, bad!" Leo would have laughed if he could. It sounded like something he would have said to a dog or a naughty child, albeit without the backhand to the face.

"Dr. Greer! That is enough. Can't you see he's hurt enough as it is?" Thade stepped up threateningly, looming protectively over Leo. "Not to mention this human is in the care of Dr. Attar, not yourself." Martin spread his arms wide.

"Well then where is Dr. Attar? How did the human acquire all these injuries in the first place? How did he escape Dr. Attar's watchful gaze, hmmmm? Maybe if he had been trained better he wouldn't have escaped and required punishment. Now if you will just step out of the way, I do believe I am specifically trained in human scientology whereas you…are not." Thade only glared and refused to budge even as the room behind him emptied of guards and took up a position around the three. He hated to admit but the chimp had a point. Where the hell was Attar and how had Martin known where to find the human? Felling a tug on his pants he looked down into the anxious face of Leo. 'Attar?' He mouthed the name imperceptively.

As if he had heard his name Attar rounded the corner. Spotting Leo sitting at Thade's feet with Martin standing threateningly close by he broke into a quick jog down the hallway.

"About damn time." Thade muttered as Attar pulled up next to him. Ignoring him for the moment Attar crouched down next to Leo. Taking in the darkening bruises on his face and shoulder he glared up at Martin.

"What kind of training on human handling have you taken? Abuse 101? " Gathering Leo gently up into his arms he turned to walk away, saying over his shoulder. "If you ever come near my human again I will have you court marshaled for interfering with military research." Thade grinned at the dumbfounded look on Martin's face.

"That's all soldiers. Good job on the quick response, although he shouldn't have gotten out the door for a second time. Work on that for next time. Marks, Daveys and Rochon, go with Attar and guard the lab. Michaels, please escort Dr. Greer back to his office. The rest of you dismissed." Throwing a sharp salute Thade turned to meet up with Attar at his lab.

Back at the lab Attar tried to set Leo down but was stopped short by the small hands clenched tight in his lab coat. "Please…please," Leo was sure his face was bright red but he just couldn't let Attar leave again. "Please, don't leave. Bad things happen when you leave." He turned pleading eyes up to Attar, "promise. Please promise you won't leave." Attar was shocked at the depth of fear in Leo's eyes. Truly he had been so mistreated at the hands of apes if he was this afraid.

"Of course I won't leave" Attar said softly, tightening his arms just a little around the slight form. "Everywhere I go, you'll go, ok?" At the slight nod of the head he smiled. "Alright, now let's get your injuries tended too, again, and then we'll eat. I'll have some food brought up," he clarified at the anxious look Leo gave him. Gently he set Leo down on the exam table and prodded his shoulder. "Looks like it was dislocated. Who popped it back for you?"

Leo just shrugged. "Did it myself." Attar just stared at him. Leo gave him a rueful little smile. "Survival training. First time I ever had to put into practice though." Attar just shook his head and bandaged the arm. Next he moved onto the face, gently smearing a cream on the bruise that would help with the swelling.

"Ready to give food another go?" Attar laughed at the frantic head nodding his suggestion received. Poor guy, Attar cast a critical glance down Leo's body, he really looked like he could use a meal. "Alright, I'll just call down to the cafeteria and order us some food." While Attar ordered the food Leo couldn't help but close his eyes. 'Just for a minute.' He was absolutely exhausted, even though he felt like he'd been sleeping for most of the past few days, with brief periods of pain and terror when he was awake.

Attar smiled fondly as he noticed Leo seemed to have fallen asleep sitting up on the exam table. Reluctant to put him back into his cage he instead cradled Leo in his arms as he sat and did some research in his favorite chair in the corner.


	9. Beginning of the End

Martin was furious, absolutely seething with rage. Every time he tried to get ahead that damned Attar stood in his way. 'The only reason he has any position at all is because of his connections with the General!' he thought, savagely slamming the door to his office. Pacing he tried to calm himself. Anger would not help him right now; he needed to be calm, levelheaded and able to think up a plan to get that human into his hands. He wasn't a stupid ape. He saw how that human had behaved when he was first brought in and then again when the guards had surrounded him. He was not a normal human. He knew normal humans. None of the ones he had observed were canny enough to evade the guards like this human had. Normal ones would cower or freeze when surrounded with that many hostile apes. This one though, this one had used logic to try and figure a way out of his predicament. He had analyzed the situation, saw his break and made his move. No, he was far from normal. Which is why Martin wanted him so bad. 'This human is going to catapult me to the top of my field. I'll be famous! Rich!' Whirling Martin went to his computer and activated a screen that would link him with the small tracking device he had stuck on the human. The human was just in Attar's office but Martin knew that Attar and Thade were on to him. First with the guards he had sent under the pretense of Dr. Boulle's orders. Now this little incident. He would just have to find a more subtle way to get the human placed under his care. His mind flashed on all the bruises the human sported. Giving an evil little cackle he picked up his phone. "Human rights services? Yes, I'd like to report a serious case of abuse…I'd like to remain anonymous please."

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Pericles listened intently to the phone, pen scribbling furiously in his book. This was his break. General Thade was finally calling him in to meet with the human. "Yes, I'm on Fifth Street. I can be there in five minutes. Gate three, around back? Okay, yes…yes. See you in five." Slamming down the phone Pericles raced around his house gathering up the research he had conducted in preparation for this interview, should it ever happen. "And now it is! This is gonna be my big break!" He couldn't help announcing to his empty apartment. Stuffing his notebook, pen and tape recorder into his bag he ran out to his car. He knew that he was even a minute late this deal was off and then he was screwed. Jobs were not easy to come by and while it had only been a few days since he quit his job and Thade had contacted him he knew that too much longer and he would be out of money. The thought of crawling back to his boss at the Times was too repugnant to think about. Once he had this story then his boss would be crawling to him!

Carefully he maneuvered his way to the military post, pulling up to gate three almost a minute earlier than he had said he would. Taking a deep breath he grabbed his gear, got out of the car and walked towards the gate. It was dark and quiet when Pericles reached the gate, standing in a small pool of light in front of the tightly locked gate, the only light for miles it seemed. It wasn't long before he heard footsteps coming his way. Straining his eyes he was just able to make out the shape of General Thade. The sound of the bolt being drawn back was loud in the silence and Pericles hurried through the gate, nerves drawn tight in excitement and trepidation. "This way." Pericles jumped a little at the gruff commanded but followed in silence down a dusty road until they cam to a large, squat building and entered through a small door. Pericles blinked to adjust his eyes as they stepped into a suddenly bright room. It was a plain gray room with quietly humming overhead lights that shone down on vehicles that sat silent in various stages of repair. The garage. Hurrying to catch up to Thade he couldn't help but feel like he had fallen into some bad 1950's spy movie. All the secrecy, the dark night, the small door leading into the empty garage, the eerie silence.

After what seemed like endless minutes of walking down one empty gray hallway to another Thade finally stopped at a small nondescript door, with a small black plaque set into the door that read Dr. L. Attar, Human Studies in bold white letters. Thade reached for the handle but stopped short and turned to Pericles. "Now try and keep calm alright? Dr. Attar isn't thrilled about this and the human's pretty jumpy around apes. That said, this is going to be a story of a lifetime and both mine and Dr. Attar's jobs are on the line here, so make it good." Pericles nodded. He knew exactly how important this story was going to be, especially if this human really did turn out to be as articulate as the General said. Thade gave him one more piercing look before opening the door and walking through. Pericles took a deep breath and followed. What he found was not what he expected at all. The room was dark except for a small table light that was on in the corner. Sitting next to the light was Dr. Attar, and cradled in his arms was a pale looking human, fast asleep, looking small and frail in the oversized blue scrubs he was wearing. Stepping further into the room Pericles noted the cage sitting in the corner as well as the stark metal exam table. Pericles couldn't help the little shudder that ran through him at the thought of anyone being strapped to that exam table.

Attar gave the small chimp that walked through the door a thorough measuring look as he walked up to him, eyes alight with curiosity. Not that he didn't trust Thade but he didn't trust the press, previous experience had taught him that they were loose cannons and would print whatever they saw fit, facts be damned. Unconsciously he tightened his grip on the sleeping man in his arms. He had such mixed emotions about this. On the one hand Leo was an important scientific discovery that the world deserved to know about, not to mention it could save his life. On the other hand, he'd have to share him with the world, no longer would he be the sole caretaker and companion. Scientists with far more experience handling humans would be called in and to be honest Leo wouldn't have much say in who was in charge of his case. Attar would merely be a footnote. Power and recognition really wasn't what Attar wanted though. He knew that when a human gave their friendship and trust a bond was created, one that was like no other and one that Attar had dreamed of. That wasn't a possibility now though. Gently Attar shook Leo. He wished that this were over already. Leo needed the sleep and Attar loved holding him, knowing that he trusted him enough to fall asleep in his arms. Stirring slightly Leo mumbled a sleepy protest, turning his face into the cloth of Attar's lab coat. He couldn't help his quiet chuckle. His 10-year-old nephew made the same noises when Attar would baby-sit and wake him up from his spot in front of the TV at bedtime. "Leo, Leo the reporter's here. You need to wake up now." The slim body in his arms all of the sudden tensed, muscles bunching as he slowly turned his head to regard the reporter warily. For a moment Attar was afraid that Leo wouldn't say anything, that maybe the talking thing was just a dream. His mind flashed to the broken pleading words Leo had uttered only a few hours ago, "Please…please…please, don't leave. Bad things happen when you leave." He turned pleading eyes up to Attar, "promise. Please promise you won't leave." No, that had not been a figment of his imagination. The fear in those eyes and in his words had been all too real. "Leo, this is the reporter, Mr. Gradou." Slowly Leo sat up, turning to face the reporter, his body tense, his eyes mistrustful. Silence reigned for moment, shattered when Leo said quietly, "Nice to meet you Mr. Gradou, my name is Leo Davidson."

The reporter just stood there for a moment, silent with shock. Quicker than Attar expected he gave himself a shake and extended his hand. "Oh, uh…Pease, call me Pericles." Leo gave his hand a brief shake before pulling back. Attar kept his arms loose around Leo but he could still feel the slight tremors shaking him. It seemed Attar wasn't the only one who was having second thoughts about this meeting. "Alright then Mr. Davidson, let's get started.

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Leo gave a sigh of relief when Pericles finally left. The interview had gone surprisingly well, though had left out some things, like Thade's bloodlust and his and Ari's relationship. Other than that he kept to the facts of his mission and his time on the other planet of the apes, even going so far as to explain what he could of their culture, the layout of the city, the hierarchy of the apes, other observations he had made. He even remarked on how much bigger the apes were here but that made some sense. Even as far back as the 1800's humans had been a lot smaller than their present day counterparts so it seemed logical that apes would follow the same basic evolutionary path as humans. Pericles had left with the promise that his story would be out in two or three day's tops. Thade had growled at the delay but Attar was silent. Leo honestly didn't know what to say or what to feel. He knew he was in a lot of danger as things stood presently but escape would be impossible once the world found out who he was. He sincerely doubted that the government would be even remotely inclined to help him rebuild his ship and send him back out into space. No, most likely they would force him to update their weapons and technology. Luckily there was only so much he could do. Not only was he not a mechanic or an engineer but also he doubted they had discovered the necessary elements needed to achieve the same level technologically as his people had. Beyond the military branch of the government was the scientific community. What would they do to him? He thought back to the chimps that he had been in charge of. They hadn't ever really hurt them, and if he was an endangered species then they would take even greater care not to harm him. Of course, he was the so-called 'missing link' so messing with his brain was not out of the question, mapping neuron pathways or something. He tried to quell the panic rising in him. He was an intelligent being, so that must limit their options, if the apes had the same morale systems as human from his universe did.Leo shook himself out of his thoughts. Now was not really the time for that anyway, he was much too tired to think coherently. His nap hadn't really made up for all the sleep he'd lost and it certainly was not enough for his healing body. Giving a tired sigh he leaned back into Attar's embrace. He knew that he must look a fool, clinging to Attar like this but recent experience had proved that without Attar bad things happened. Nobody had commented on it as of yet, though the reporter had given him some strange looks. "Well, that went well." Leo spared a weary glance over at Thade. He'd been strangely quiet throughout the interview, even as Leo had talked about his final fierce battle with him. "It seems interesting to me that when you went through that wormhole you weren't sent to the future but another universe. I wonder how many more are out there?" Thade speculated. It was unsettling knowing that there were multiple 'Thade's' out there, though all of the ones Leo had run into seemed militarily inclined. Another thought occurred to him, "If your ship never crashed in this universe, could they still be out there somewhere?"Leo sat, stunned. His ship could still be out there, he could still be rescued, he could go home. Leo would have jumped for joy if not for the tight arms around him. Attar's arms. Well crap. He knew that on this planet humans seemed to be pretty rare and that to be in charge of a human created some sort of bond, he had picked up that much from listening to Attar and Thade. Before he could say something, before he could even think of what to say Attar stood and began walking towards his cage in the corner. "Well, until then, or until the story comes out, you need to act like a normal human. That means of course no talking and no more walking around without restraints, even in my office. For now though I have to put you back in your cage." Attar said briskly. Leo's whole body tensed but he recognized Attar's reasoning, though he knew that he was only bringing this up out of anger over Thade's revelation. "Also, that means that I have to leave for the night. I've been here long enough, people are going to wonder why I refuse to leave you alone, even at night." At this Leo couldn't control the panic that welled up in him.

"NO! You said you wouldn't leave!" Twisting in Attar's arms he grabbed two fistfuls of Attar's lab coat. "You promised!" Attar wouldn't be swayed though, fear and anger at losing Leo making him stubborn. Roughly he grabbed Leo's wrists and forced him to let go of his coat. Leo grimaced and couldn't hold in a small whimper as his wrists were squeezed tight enough to bruise. He knew Attar was upset at the thought of him leaving but angry enough to hurt him? Leo had not anticipated that. Something inside of him gave a painful twist. Now what was he going to do? Attar was supposed to be the one ape that wouldn't hurt him, who would make others didn't hurt him. Unbeknownst to him tears escaped him and ran down his cheek.

It was at that moment that there was a brief knock at the door before it was flung open and two chimps and five hulking gorillas poured in. "Freeze!" One of the chimps held up an official looking badge. "We're from the department of Human Rights Services. We received a tip that you were abusing the human under your care." His grim gaze took in the tears on Leo's pale face and the painful looking grip Attar had on his wrists. Add that to the bruise on his face that Martin had given him earlier and the bandages peeking through the oversized scrubs and Leo knew he made a pretty pitiful sight. "And it looks like we got here just in time." He gestured sharply and the five gorillas started to move up on the pair.

"Now wait just one minute. My name is General Thade and I specifically placed this human under the care of Dr. Attar. You have no authority here." Despite his shorter stature his hard glare stopped the five in their tracks. "Now, I'd like to know who gave you this tip and who let you in here." The other chimp did not appear intimidated by and angry General Thade and met his glare head on.

"The tip was, and will remain, anonymous. We received the call several hours ago and went through proper channels to get here. Our authority is valid and we will be removing the human from Dr. Attar's care. Per orders we cannot remove him from the base but he will be placed under the supervision of another one of your human specialists, who will be under 24 hour surveillance." He gestured to the other chimp who had entered the room with him. "Dr. Greer will be taking over from here." Thade and Attar traded desperate looks before Attar quietly handed Leo over to one of the gorillas.

"Very well, for now I'll leave him with you." Attar pinned Martin with a sharp look, "but remember this is only temporary. I can prove that none of those bruises were put there by me and that your claims of abuse have to backing." Attar ignored the frantic look Leo shot him. There wasn't anything he could do for him right now, no words of reassurance he could say. As the situation stood, Leo had to go with Martin and there wasn't anything Attar could do about it now. Both Attar and Thade stood rigid as Leo was carried, struggling, out of the room.


End file.
